The Lord and The Traveler
by The Further
Summary: The gang comes across a very wealthy looking castle, but why does it seem as if the Lord of the castle has his eyes on Kagome?
1. A Sense Of Dread

It was mid-day, the sky clear and blue with no clouds to obscure the view and the large orb of a bright star shining nearly directly the middle of the blue canvas. A picture too perfect for an extraordinary young girl as her chafed loafers scuffed a worn dirt trail, disturbed dust rising a few inches behind her heel before settling once more on the print her shoe left behind. She trailed behind a certain bare foot hanyou that led the way down the path that seemed to go forever, doing her best to keep pace with him as their other two human companions treaded in their wake with a young red-headed fox youkai and a tiny fire neko youkai resting respectively on their shoulders. If this were any other day she would be enjoying the warm sun that cradled her cheeks and constantly asking the hanyou in front of her if she could stop and smell the flowers that consistently grew in the fields that bordered either side of their path, of course this would begin in a shouting match between the two and when the young fox demon came to her defense it would end with him getting a lump on his skull and a satisfying "Sit" for the hanyou, but this day was just not another day in Feudal Japan for the young miko girl.

For at least a few days now the miko, Kagome, had been getting a growing sense of dread in her stomach as her and her companions marched on down the path to what they could only hope was the correct destination to the last Shikon Jewel shard, rumors from the peasants in the latest village they had rested at was the only lead they had got out of the farmers. The young fox demon had noticed her nervousness for quite some time now but had no idea what to do about it, and it definitely seemed as if both Miroku and Sango noticed as well as Kagome had started to falter when they began to travel farther North. Sango had once tried to ask her friend about it but it seemed as if the young girl attempted to avoid the subject as soon as it was brought up in conversation so she had stopped her prying but continued to keep an eye on her. Miroku seemed anxious to know what made Kagome so silent and nervous as soon they began in this direction but the hanyou, Inuyasha, had seemed as dense as ever but he too and began to notice though he had brought up a good front to hide his suspicion. Kagome herself did all she could to keep her usual bright grin on her face but her grim emotions brought her back down again and kept her focus on it instead of keeping pace with Inuyasha or striking up a conversation. The fox kit sighed weakly as jumped from Miroku's shoulder and scrambled up Kagome's arm to rest on her's instead, noticing her jerk away as he did so, and tried to think of what to say but before he could get a chance to speak he felt a clawed hand grab his collar and tug him forward.

He yelped and swung his arms at his captor but Inuyasha simply dropped him back to the dirt trail.

"Inuyasha! What was that for?" Shippo yelled up at him as the group screeched to a halt. The hanyou simply huffed and crossed his arms over his chest as he began walking again.

Inuyasha, leave poor Shippo alone!" Kagome shouted as she ran to the young fox kit's side and cradled him in her arms.

"You coddle him too much, Kagome." The hanyou called back without breaking stride.

"He's just a kid! Hey, wait for us!" Kagome yelled to the figure that seemed to be diminishing in size as he got further away and the young miko rose to her feet and ran after the dog demon, her quiver of arrows rattling on her back as her right shoulder blade and bow struck it's wooden side. She could faintly hear the rings of Miroku's staff clinking together as he and Sango followed suit. Inuyasha's plan seemed to have worked, Kagome was angry that Inuyasha had treated Shippo in such a way but her usual self had broken through her grim expression.

When the rest of the team had finally caught up with the hanyou Kagome had given him an earful which began a battle of shouting which, as always, triggered a loud "Sit!" from the young miko, effectively throwing Inuyasha face first into the dusty trail. Kagome walked past the groaning hanyou, still clenching a very smug Shippo in her arms and continuing North but even as tread the trail the anxiety that held her stomach in a firm grip would not relent and now it had spread it's tentacles to her heart. Not an hour later the rest of the team had caught up with Kagome and the still giggling Shippo but it seemed she had stopped by the side of the trail as it dipped downward toward a valley that contained a very happy and wealthy looking castle in it's depths, and happier still was the village that surrounded it, wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys as women made lunch for their husbands and children. The hanyou was still steaming and coats of dirt still covered his face but his expression turned serious as he looked toward the happy little valley, his nose twitching rapidly.

'How did I not notice this scent? It's absolutely overwhelming!' He thought as he turned toward the rest of the team he spoke in an urgent voice. "That village reeks with the scent of smoke and blood." He informed.

"A bandit raid?" Miroku offered as he looked down on the village. "The castle seems very wealthy."

Not a few moments after spoken those words did they notice a enormous bear demon rose from one of the many streets, a screaming woman dangling precariously in his massive jaws before he clenched his fangs together, following a snapping sound that only Inuyasha could have heard from this distance and the woman hung limp. The demon tossed it's head back and engulfed the villager before swallowing her whole. Kagome stared in horror, her anxiety increasing tremendously due to her terror but she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Inuyasha glared down at the demon and shouted an order at the young girl as he got into a crouch.

"Get on!" Kagome spent only a few moments releasing Shippo from her grasp and allowing him to climb on her shoulder once more before climbing onto Inuyasha's back and holding fast to his shoulders. The hanyou held up her thighs and Kagome would squeeze her knees against his sides in response until he began with a leap off the slope and started off with a sprint as he landed, eyes locked onto the enormous bear demon.

"Kirara!" Sango commanded the fire neko that sat silently on her shoulder before leaping off and becoming engulfed in a flurry of flames, growing into a size much larger than even a lion. Neither human seemed frightened of the demon cat as they climbed onto her back, Sango's hand reaching for her massive boomerang that was always strapped to her back while Miroku's hand reached for her bosom. A loud slap was heard by the three team members that had a good head start ahead of them but they rightfully ignored it.


	2. The Lord Tokugawa

With the hanyou's uncanny demonic speed he and Kagome arrived at the village entrance in just a minute's time, the enormous bear youkai looming above them only 100 yards away at the end of the street. The demon was tall enough on it's hind legs that it's massive head blocked out the now dipping sun from the companion's view and Kagome could feel the young fox kit clench his fists and hold fast to her shirt as he quaked in fear. Inuyasha crouched down once more and Kagome immediately climbed off her mount, stepping back a few paces from the hanyou as he drew the rusty katana that always rested at his side. As soon as the sword slipped from it's sheath though, it released it's true power and grew in a size greater than even one of the bear youkai's fangs and yet the hanyou didn't seem hindered by the great dog demon fang whatsoever, instead he grasped it with only one clawed hand and stood tall, the sword's razor sharp tip pointed upwards towards where it's chest might have been if it was facing them.

"Over here, ya bastard!" Inuyasha shouted as loud as he could at the demon. The youkai responded by taking it's time to peer over it's broad shoulder, a single visible scarlet eye gleaming back at them. Frustrated that it's meal had been disturbed it pivoted itself toward them, it's massive hind paw obliterating the side of a villager's home until it finally faced them. The bear spread it's enormous jaws wide and released a deep, threatening snarl that vibrated the earth beneath them within a quarter mile or so radius, something horrendous made all the more terrifying by the gallons of blood smeared across it's muzzle and fangs. Kagome felt Shippo struggle to keep himself steady and calm even as he wilted and shivered beneath the bear demon's gaze, but even so Kagome herself was not as frightened as Shippo but that is not to say she hadn't already had drawn an arrow from her quiver and laid it across her simple bow or that she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Kirara land behind her and Sango and Miroku dismount to take up their own battle stances, staff and Hiraikotsu in their grasp.

"Ha! This'll be easily!" Inuyasha declared as he grasped Tetsusaiga in both hands before slamming the elongated blade into the ground in front of him. "Kaze no Kizu!" He shouted before a burst of light came from beneath his sword, successfully summoning a great release of power that tore through the path before the group and reached the bear youkai in utter seconds before it climbed it's body and effectively engulfed it. It's screeches silenced even the shouting village guards that arrived from the castle to slay the beast only just as Inuyasha had summoned the Wind Scar. As the wind and dust cleared the area the only thing that was left of the great bear demon were chunks of bulbous flesh and three enormous divots in the village street. Inuyasha huffed and pulled his sword toward him as it transformed back into it's original form of a rusty katana, placing it back into it's sheath and turning to look at the small crowd of villagers and village guards that had gathered as he slew the beast with one stroke. After a moment's silence the group of towns folk cheered for the traveler's that had coincidentally arrived in just the right amount of time until shouting was heard behind them and they respectfully separated into a path. Kagome, at this moment, noticeably moved to stand at Inuyasha's side, her forgotten feeling of dread now returning full force.

'But why?' She wondered as she continued to await the arrival of whoever was coming closer with her companions. 'This feeling...Had nothing to do with that bear demon?' As she struggled to understand it's meaning a young man, surrounded entirely by well armored castle guards, stepped through the crowd. He first looked over at the group of traveler's before turning a shocked gaze to where the bloody mess of a bear youkai and back again, his inspecting gaze wandering over each of the group before his gaze rested on Kagome and her heart felt like a block of ice had completely engulfed it. The Lord smiled kindly and strode over to the village's saviors until taking a deep bow to the group of travelers which each returned in kind, all except Inuyasha but the Lord did not seem to notice.

"Thank you very much, kind travelers. You have saved my people from certain death at the hands of that beast. Would you consider staying in the night? We have plenty of food and lodgings and would be happy to oblige as thanks to our saviors." The Lord stood to full height after saying this and never let his kindly smile drift from his face.

"We couldn't save everyone, unfortunately." Inuyasha replied gruffly and then mumbled his annoyance when Kagome elbowed him in the ribs and Miroku stepped forward with his own smile.

"And perhaps you have some women?" Miroku asked with a perverted laugh until there was audible growl that came from behind him and he coughed and placed the edge of his palm in front of him, closed his eyes, mumbled a Buddhist prayer before looking back to the Lord. "We would gladly accept your hospitality."

"Stop now? It's barely noon!" Inuyasha mumbled loudly and Kagome respond with her own whisper, despite her uncomfortable feelings toward the Lord.

"This is most likely the only castle we'll see for a while if we continue down this path, we should stop a rest! Besides, I want a bath..." She added, eying the Lord of the castle suspiciously as he faced Miroku.

The Lord smiled brightly at the monk. "Wondrous! Please please, come with me. I shall show you all your lodgings and, please forgive my rudeness, I am Lord Tokugawa." Miroku, introduced each member of the group in turn before walking alongside the Lord and striking up a friendly conversation as they headed toward their destination, Sango and Kirara hurrying to catch up with Inuyasha and Kagome as they strode along behind Miroku. Kagome's slender fingers did not cease to twitch ever so slightly as she kept close by the hanyou's side and kept watch on the Lord, barely noticing Lord Tokugawa's bodyguards keeping behind Sango and the now transformed Kirara resting on her shoulder or the villagers that smiled and bowed as they passed before slowly breaking apart to return to their duties or to whisper amongst themselves about the travelers and what they were going to do about the disaster that was now this section of the village due to the bear demon and Inuyasha's Wind Scar.

Surprised expressions struck every one of the companions as they were led directly into the castle and invited to rest in separate spare rooms while the Lord had his servants prepare food for each of them. Kagome now sat in her own designated quarters, a simple room with a tatami mat laid out for her and one lamp for light. Shippo had unexpectedly scampered in not a few minutes ago and was now rifling through the now nearly empty yellow pack she lugged around, hoping to find a spare piece of candy at the bottom of it's depths and the girl, having stopped trying to tell him there was none left long ago, now flipped through the textbook that was open in front of her by the light of the lamp but she was uninterested and barely reading it, her mind preoccupied. The now notorious foreboding sense of dread barely lingered as it stroked her heart, constantly reminding her that there was indeed something very wrong and she had to figure out what but this was one of the only times Kagome had felt calm and she intended to at least enjoy it, and so she closed her algebra text book with a determined clap and marched toward the door of her guest's quarters, the rice paper wrinkling slightly as she forced it open and closed only slightly more gently behind her. Her room, as with her companion's rooms, led directly outside and onto a patio pathway elevated from the ground with an enclosing railing on all sides. Kagome walked up to this railing and relaxed against it's side, arms crossed and stomach pressed against it, sighing mournfully. She was acting ridiculous, of course nothing was wrong. The Lord had taken them in and gave them a place to rest why should she be nervous about him? And yet her stomach protested against her by tying her intestines into a knot and making her sigh once more.

'Maybe they'll finally let me have that bath...' She wondered.


End file.
